


Dust in an Instant

by allisondraste



Series: Minutemen Missives [3]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/M, Tumblr Prompt, i promise they get back together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:53:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24176161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allisondraste/pseuds/allisondraste
Summary: Charlie's visit to the Institute took its toll on her, and Preston's not sure why she won't talk to him.
Relationships: Preston Garvey/Female Sole Survivor, Preston Garvey/Sole Survivor
Series: Minutemen Missives [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716052
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	Dust in an Instant

**Author's Note:**

> Just a lil prompty prompt from tumblr. :)

She’d let her hair grow out. That was the first thing Preston noticed as Charlie made her way across the bridge into Sanctuary, the once short-cropped copper strands now grazing her shoulders. It looked nice, he thought, even as a pit hollowed itself in his chest. It was also a reminder that he’d hardly seen her since she first returned from the Institute weeks ago. She had appeared in a bright beam of light, shot him one heartbreaking glance and walked away without a word. He didn’t know what happened to her while she was in there, couldn’t even guess. He didn’t want to. If she didn’t want to tell him that was her business, but he hated feeling shut out. Especially after, well… everything. 

Charlie smiled as she greeted Sturges, wrapping her arms around him and clapping him on the back before pulling away, smile faded. Preston couldn’t make out what was said, but she placed a holotape in his hand. He nodded, tucked the tape in his pocket and walked away, and Charlie made her way to Mama Murphy, squeezing the old woman’s shoulders and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Whatever Mama said after that made Charlie glance up at Preston almost instantly, tears welling in her eyes as they found him. She shook her head and looked away just as quickly. 

It hadn’t been that long ago that they’d spend hours talking about everything and nothing, that he’d told her about that death wish he’d been carrying since Quincy. How meeting her made him let go of it. She made a fool of herself trying to cheer him up that day. They weren’t even together then and he already loved her. Now it all seemed like a distant memory, the few feet between them stretching on like the Glowing Sea. 

He could help her. He knew he could, but he needed to know what was wrong. Why wouldn’t she talk to him? 

Charlie stood statue-like, looking to be deep in thought. Against his own better judgement, Preston approached her. He put a hand on her shoulder and she flinched.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling his hand away, “My bad.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s—you’re fine.”

“Long time, no see.” 

“Yeah.” She still wouldn’t look at him. 

“I thought maybe we could talk.. you know, if you have time.” He shifted, nervous and uncomfortable, heartbeat like thunder in his ribs. 

“Preston, I—“ she began, voice cracking as she finally brought her eyes back up to him— “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

It would have hurt less if she’d shot him. To hear that she couldn’t tell him something, why? Did she not trust him? He scrambled for something comforting to say, something reassuring. Fresh out. Nothing but half-hearted condolences he couldn’t mean because he didn’t actually know if everything was going to be okay. 

“Why won’t you talk to me,” he asked desperately. 

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, and turned quickly to walk across the street, into the old skeleton of a house she always visited when she came home, the one she lived in before the war. 

He had no intentions of following her. He was going to give her space because she clearly wanted it. Then, there was a loud crash inside. The entirety of people the settlement shot their heads toward the house and then back to him. Dogmeat let out an alarmed bark in the distance and Preston couldn’t stay away. 

He rushed across the street and into the dilapidated house, imagining what it must have looked like when Charlie lived there. Old buildings never failed to make him sad, memories of lives dissolved to dust in an instant. This building carried even more weight. He knew its personal history and the life that it stood as a testament to. He cared for someone connected to it and it haunted her like a ghost she did not want to get rid of. Maybe, if he made enough of a difference, life could look that way again. He hoped, at least. 

He heard her before he saw her, sniffing her nose and mumbling praise to Dogmeat, who’d made it to her before Preston could. He followed her voice down the hallway and toward the room at the far end. The one where she kept her son’s old crib and whatever toys hadn’t been carried off by creatures of the Commonwealth. 

Only when he got to the room, it was in complete disarray, things thrown about, crib torn apart, a pile of wood and shredded cloth on the floor. Nearby there was a new hole in the wall, the size of a fist, and Charlie sat in the corner, hands bloodied, with Dogmeat laying across her lap. He wagged his tail as Preston approached, but Charlie just sat still, unmoving and staring off at nothing. 

He sat down near her, back against the wall. He didn’t say a word. There wasn’t anything he could say anyway. After several long minutes passed in heavy silence, nothing but Dogmeat’s fidgeting to punctuate the quiet, a weight fell on Preston’s shoulder and he looked over to see Charlie leaned against him. 

“I can’t,” she whispered, choked with tears. 

“That’s fine.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “You don’t have to talk about it right now. Or ever. I don’t care.” 

“No, it’s not that,” she said, scooting closer and burying her face deeper into his duster, “I can’t do this. Us.” 

His heart sank like lead, a flood of panic in his chest, but he tried not to flinch or recoil from her. “Have I done something wrong,” he asked as evenly as he could. 

She shook her head almost instantly. “No. No, you’re perfect. It’s just… the Institute. Everything that happened.” She huffed and trailed off, scowling as if frustrated with her inability to explain her feelings.

“It’s okay. Take your time.”

She took a deep breath before trying again. “The only thing my trip to the Institute did was confuse the hell out of me. I’m not ready to talk about it yet, but I know that I’m in no shape to pretend like I’m moved on enough from my old life to give you what you need.” 

Preston wanted to protest, but thought better of it, pressing his lips together instead. He wondered what she thought he needed. Had he come off as needing anything from her except her company? 

“If… you think it’s for the best,” he said, each word scraping his throat as he spoke, shards of his own broken heart. “Whatever you need.” 

Charlie pressed her face more firmly into his shoulder, hand clinging to fabric as she sobbed. He hated the relief he felt at seeing her mourn her decision. Once she settled down, and caught her breath, she spoke again, words muffled by his coat. “ Preston?”

“Hmm?”

“I know this isn’t usually how break-ups go, but… will you just sit with me for a bit? Like this?”

He pulled her in more closely and let his head rest atop hers. “As long as you want.”


End file.
